Ida, a Kenyan woman has opened up about how a close-knit group of friends nearly drove a wedge between her and her husband, revealing that the women had even bet that her marriage would not last two years.
Ida has been married to her husband for more than 13 years after meeting him while they were still in high school. She was 18 at the time, and the two became close after discovering they attended the same school.
“We realised we were from the same school, so we became friends. You know when you find someone from your school, you naturally become friends,” she recalled.
Their relationship later developed into marriage and they welcomed their first child. However, Ida said the arrival of the baby brought unexpected challenges to their relationship.
She explained that the couple became distant as they adjusted to parenthood, with much of their attention shifting to the child. At the same time, Ida struggled with postpartum depression, which affected her emotions and confidence.
“I always tell people the first child can separate even the strongest couples. You become so focused on the baby that you forget the two of you,” she said.
As disagreements increased, Ida sought comfort from her friends. She believed they were supporting her during a difficult period, only to later discover that some of their advice was allegedly making matters worse.
At one point, she left the family home at night to prevent an argument from escalating. Her friends offered her somewhere to stay, and she spent two days away.
During that period, her husband reportedly called the friends looking for her, but they allegedly denied knowing where she was.
Ida later discovered that the group had gone further, reportedly encouraging her to have a “Panadol”, their coded term for a side boyfriend. They allegedly claimed having another man would make her husband appreciate her more.
She also learnt that the friends had placed a bet on how long her marriage would survive, something she said she never knew about at the time.
The experience eventually changed her view of friendship and marriage. Ida said the ordeal taught her to be more careful about whose advice she accepts, particularly when dealing with private family matters.